{"id":20559,"date":"2026-01-23T21:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T21:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/23\/openais-move-to-put-ads-in-chatgpt-exposes-a-i-s-revenue-crunch\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T21:18:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T21:18:44","slug":"openais-move-to-put-ads-in-chatgpt-exposes-a-i-s-revenue-crunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/23\/openais-move-to-put-ads-in-chatgpt-exposes-a-i-s-revenue-crunch\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI\u2019s Move to Put Ads in ChatGPT Exposes A.I.\u2019s Revenue Crunch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As A.I. companies burn billions on computing power, ads are becoming the next frontier\u2014and the next flashpoint. Indranil Aditya\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OpenAI<\/a>\u2019s Jan. 16 announcement that it will introduce ads in some ChatGPT plans surprised even its closest competitors. Google<\/a> DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis<\/a> told Axios in Davos this week that while advertising has funded much of the consumer internet, \u201cthere\u2019s a question about<\/a> how ads fit into the [chatbot] model.\u201d Hassabis added that Google has \u201cno plans\u201d to follow OpenAI\u2019s lead, even as Gemini recently rolled out an in-app shopping feature.<\/p>\n

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The moment underscores how urgently large A.I. companies are searching for new ways to make money. Despite their soaring valuations, none of the major players is profitable, largely because of the enormous cost of compute power, which is only expected to rise. OpenAI posted a $21 billion loss last year, while Anthropic lost more than $5.2 billion.<\/p>\n

So far, most chatbots generate revenue through subscriptions, enterprise contracts, API access and licensing deals with partners. Advertising offers a fast way to close revenue gaps, but it also risks undermining user trust and degrading the experience that made these tools\u2014many known for their minimalistic user interface\u2014popular in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt carries a high risk of feeling intrusive if a brand interrupts a helpful A.I. conversation with an unsolicited pitch,\u201d Gilad Bechar, co-founder and CEO at Moburst, a growth marketing agency used by Google, told Observer. \u201cIf an ad does not feel like a resource or a solution in that specific moment, it does not belong in the chat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anticipating such concerns, OpenAI said in its announcement that users \u201cneed to trust that ChatGPT\u2019s responses are driven by what\u2019s objectively useful,\u201d and emphasized that ads will not influence a chatbot\u2019s answers. Critics, however, argue that separating advertising from A.I. outputs may prove harder in practice.<\/p>\n

Those worries come as A.I. companies are already pushing into more sensitive areas. In recent weeks, both OpenAI and Anthropic launched health care-focused products<\/a>, raising alarms about the accuracy and reliability of A.I.-generated medical advice and the security of user data. Introducing ads faces similar challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpenAI is starting down a risky path,\u201d Miranda Bogen, director of the AI Governance Lab at the nonpartisan think tank Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), said in a statement to Observer. \u201cEven if A.I. platforms don\u2019t share data directly with advertisers, business models based on targeted advertising put really dangerous incentives in place when it comes to user privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some critics warn that the backlash could be especially strong among women, who now make up more than half of ChatGPT\u2019s users.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cData shows that women have an ethical dilemma when it comes to artificial intelligence and its use,\u201d said Shampaigne Graves, a women\u2019s consumer expert and founder of the e-commerce education company Boldifi, citing research from the Oxford Internet Institute showing that women are more likely to recognize A.I.\u2019s societal risks and inequities<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re also not fans of advertising on platforms that they use for entertainment, especially when there are competitors that aren\u2019t incorporating ads into their platform. This is the perfect storm for OpenAI to bleed subscribers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Google, meanwhile, is pursuing its own commercial strategy. On Jan. 11, the company launched a shopping feature in Gemini that allows users to buy items from Walmart and Sam\u2019s Club directly inside the app. While users can choose whether to complete a purchase, the system\u2019s ability to suggest products raises questions about bias and conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n

A <\/span>new report<\/span> from the nonpartisan think tank Center for Democracy and Technology <\/span>suggests that such monetization efforts are spreading across the industry. Meta AI plans to use chatbot data to inform ads on Facebook, while \u201cOpenAI is already building the infrastructure it would need to begin taking in affiliate revenue,<\/a>\u201d the report said. Beyond advertising, companies are also chasing government contracts\u2014such as deals with the Pentagon\u2014and exploring A.I.-powered devices like watches and smart glasses as additional revenue streams.<\/p>\n

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